AMD, Intel to float 6-core CPUs soon

"AMD and Intel – the two giants of the CPU domain are both ready to go to market with their 6-core CPUs."

AMD and Intel – the two giants of the CPU domain are both ready to go to market with their 6-core CPUs. Both companies already have highly successful quad- or four-core CPUs on the market, with Intel leading the way as usual.

With quad-core already done and settled, the next natural progression is for both chip makers to graduate to six-cores. Intel will soon be doing this in the form of its six-core desktop processors that have been dubbed “Gulftown”. Based on the Nehalem chip, these processors will reportedly be launched towards the end of March 2010 under the brand name Core i7-980X.

Not to be left behind, AMD is also geared up for the launch of its six-core CPUs that have been under development with the nick-name “Thuban”. Unlike Intel’s six-core chips that are cast in the 30nm die, AMD is still using a 45nm die for these chips. The manufacturer is expected to brand them as Phenom II X6 1075 T, 1055T and 1035T models, with the actual launch expected in May of this year.

All of AMD’s CPUs will be in the standard AM3 socket range. According to a report by OC Workbench, the six-core chips will start with a clocking range of 2.8GHz at 140W TDP. Each chip is likely to carry a normal 6MB L3 cache just like its quad-core siblings. The most notable change though, should be in the HyperTransport clock, which has reportedly been raised to 2.4GHz from the existing 2.0GHz to handle the additional data pressure.

Pricing for the CPUs of both companies is still under wraps, though rumor has it that Intel’s will be priced in the four digit range.

Register for the OC3D Newsletter

Subscribing to the OC3D newsletter will keep you up-to-date
on the latest technology reviews, competitions and goings-on at Overclock3D.
We won't share your email address with ANYONE, and we will only email you with updates on site news, reviews, and competitions and you can unsubscribe easily at any time.

Simply enter your name and email address into the box below and be sure to click on the links in the
confirmation emails that will arrive in your e-mail shortly after to complete the registration.